SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Bradley twice took the lead against Missouri State ace Nick Petree, but Bears right fielder Spencer Johnson drove home four runs to help the home team rally for a 5-2 win in the opening game of a 3-game Missouri Valley Conference series Friday night at Hammons Field.

Bradley freshman Nolan Sponsler led off the game with his first career home run and left fielder Mike Tauchman gave the Braves (12-20, 1-9 MVC) a 2-1 lead with a fifth-inning RBI single, but the Bears (22-11, 7-3 MVC) rallied with three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth on Johnson's 2-out, bases-loaded triple.

The Bradley pitching combination of David Koll (1-5) and Elliot Ashbeck allowed just one earned run and surrendered only six hits to the Bears, but seven walks and a pair of errors came back to haunt the Braves.  Petree improved to 6-1 by allowing two runs on eight hits with 11 strikeouts in his 7.0 innings.  The Missouri State bullpen pitched two perfect innings to close out the series-opening win.

The teams will continue their weekend series with a 2 p.m. game Saturday at Hammons Field.  Freshman left-hander Brent Stong is expected to start Saturday's game on the mound for Bradley.